Johannesburg - The office of national police commissioner Riah Phiyega has revealed that 740 firearms were either stolen or lost by police officers in the 2011/2012 financial year.

In response to parliamentary questions from the Democratic Alliance, Phiyega's office said six guns were lost in toilets, negligent loss accounted for 246 missing firearms and the loss of 286 guns is yet to be classified.

In total 350 police officers were disciplined for the loss of weapons. In terms of negligent losses.

One policeman lost his gun while drunk; four guns were stolen in robberies while police were drinking; ten firearms were stolen in burglaries in homes that were not locked; 16 were stolen out of state vehicles; 22 from police officers in person; 29 out of private vehicles; and eighteen were stolen from dwellings.

Phiyega said 425 investigations were pending into the disappearance of weapons.